Yesterday I discussed how devastating the pandemic was for Walt Disney World park entertainment. Massive layoffs, and safety requirements have resulted in an uneven and stilted park experience. I touched on each park’s signature events as well as character experiences. Today I want to talk about the rest of the park offerings – parades and other shows.

Parades

Parades have become another victim of the pandemic in the world of Disney and in this case, I believe its more of a business decision, than a safety one. As I noted above, some of the evening shows have returned, but the parades haven’t. Why? Probably because parades require a lot of entertainment staff to run.

Magic Kingdom

In Magic Kingdom there were a few regular parades. The first was Festival of Fantasy which was a spectacular, puppet based parade with dancing and was an absolute fan favorite. I continue to hear grumblings from guests wondering when it will return. I agree, it would be a shame to see this parade be a victim of the pandemic or budget cuts. It was amazing with excellent costumes and choreography. Will it return? Time will tell.

The second most famous parade at Magic Kingdom was a nighttime light show parade. Originally it was the Main Street Electrical Parade, and then later with updated equipment SpectroMagic! It was a stellar and dazzling show which last ran in 2016, and I’m glad I got to see it. There is a lot of speculation about a return to a nighttime parade at Magic Kingdom, but taking a purely business view there is no argument for it since the park is already packed for the end of day fireworks display. I think this may be a case of it being lost to Disney history.

The last genre of parades at Magic Kingdom generally fall into what I would call a generic character parade. Basically the main goal being that guests see as many characters as possible, with some not even offering meet and greets in the parks. I would bet my house this type of parade returns. How TBD, but there are a few ideas. In the past, one format was a dance party format where the characters actually stopped and guests could dance with them. We did this with my daughter and it was an absolute delight. This is a simple endeavor and likely a less expensive option. The second is along the lines of Celebrate a Dream Come True, which was a float based character parade with a uniting theme. This did incorporate more fanfare and dancers than the simple dance party parade, so it may be a delayed endeavor. The existence of these parades seems directly coupled with minor classic character based shows that pop up in front of the castle throughout the day in Magic Kingdom, as I think they use the same cast members to run. My best guess is they will both return in Spring of 2022 likely with a 50th Anniversary theme.

One more add to parades in Magic Kingdom are the seasonal offering parades which are part of their after hour special events. These parades are Halloween and Christmas themed respectively, and are returning this year for their events.

EPCOT

EPCOT has not had a parade for many years, and I don’t anticipate one returning. EPCOT is currently undergoing a several year make over however, so I suppose anything is possible.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom has not had a parade since 2014 when it retired Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade. This parade was a festive one that was based around puppets and percussion. It was enjoyable. However, the park is very narrow and basically shut down traffic for the whole park during the parade. I don’t foresee any sort of parade element returning to this park.

Hollywood Studios

Hollywood Studios has never really been known for its parades. There have been a few show lived ones over the years to highlight the popular thing at the time like Frozen or Star Wars. The longest lived most recent parade was Stars and Motor Cars, a character focused parade that was revamped a few times for anniversary celebrations. I don’t anticipate any new parades for this park unless again it’s a marketing focused highlight.

Other shows

My last category here are other shows in the parks. Some are fan favorites, and are do not miss. Others are more focused on your specific tastes and age.

Magic Kingdom

Mickey’s Philharmagic is a 3D interactive movie. And it’s here to stay as it just underwent a recent update that included music from the movie Coco. There are a few other “shows” that consist of animatronic characters and to my knowledge all are open including the classic Tiki Room, Country Bear Jamboree and the Hall of Presidents with the recent inclusion of President Joe Biden.

I mentioned earlier about short daytime character based shows in front of the castle. These are still suspended as far as I can tell, but I would expect them to return.

Enchanted Tales with Belle is an audience interactive show that is a must for any Belle fan. It is currently shut down, and because of the nature of the show I don’t anticipate it opening until Spring 2022 at the earliest.

Lastly, The Dapper Dans, a barbershop quartet can be seen wandering Main Street USA. They are a Disney fan favorite.

EPCOT

The entertainment charm of EPCOT for me is the various cultural shows in World Showcase including bellydancers, drummers and acrobats. At writing, some are performing and others have yet to return. The Music of Mexico, Matsuriza (Japanese drumming) are currently available as well as the excellent Voices of Liberty in the American Pavilion. I have heard rumors that much of the international performers and cast members have not been able to come to or remain in the United States due to the pandemic. For me, as an epic EPCOT fan, this is a huge highlight of any trip and a true loss. I hope this is resolved and these cast members return soon.

Finally, American Experience is another one of those animatronic shows, as is The Carousel of Progress. Both are operating. Neither is a must, but both provide a good place to take a break in air conditioning.

Animal Kingdom

Animal Kingdom has several shows, some of which are open. A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King has re-opened and is a must see. Sadly, I watched the premier and many of the original elements that required specialized talents are missing including the acrobatic monkeys and the flying element of the birds. I suspect budget cuts, but I hope this is a temporary change. Still an excellent show to watch.

Finding Nemo The Musical an excellent production with puppets and original score remains closed. I was sad to learn that it will not be returning. However, my mood brightened when I learned they intend to revamp it. My best guess? Much of the cast was original from when it premiered and they will be replaced, instead opting for a whole new cast and show that incorporates elements from Finding Dory. Premier date TBD.

Feathered Friends in Flight! is an educational and entertaining bird show. Many skip this but it’s something, in its older iterations, that my family has always enjoyed. It runs a few times during the day and is open.

I already mentioned the new kite show called Disney KiteTails! that is open but experiencing multiple issues at the moment. It’s a brief 10 minutes and may make for a good mid-day break, though I don’t recall much shade there and it could be very hot.

Lastly the Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe are always great. I don’t see evidence of them on the Disney website, so at writing they don’t seem to present. I hope they return.

Hollywood Studios

Beauty and the Beast Live! on Stage is a fan favorite and recently returned to Hollywood Studios. As has the comical and entertaining For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-a-long Celebration. I would recommend seeing both unless you aren’t a princess fan.

For those with little ones, Disney Junior show is occurring multiple times a day with an emphasis on dancing with characters.

Voyage of the Little Mermaid was a puppet based and live action experience. It has its fans, but has become quite dated over the years and I don’t anticipate it opening again.

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular is just as described, and a lot of fun, but currently remains closed. It has been reported that the cast has been called back and there is an anticipated opening in late 2021.

TL/DR

In all, although more is opening, there is still a lot missing from the Walt Disney World Parks in the entertainment category including two end of day shows and most character experiences. For me, it’s enough to hold out visiting until things return to “normal” and hope that the parks don’t permanently close some of my favorites.